The Golden Throne

Chapter 50: Reunion

"We're almost there," Zeno murmured, watching Errion City grow larger as they approached it by air.

"Should we land at the palace?" Kye asked.

"No, we land at the city, so that all may see the children are alive and well," she said. She looked at him and held his hand.

"Let's do this." Kye nodded.

As they neared the edge of the city, a gun fired from below, causing the royal children to cry out in fear.

"Kye, what do we do?" Zeno stammered.

"Don't worry. It's just a warning shot," he said, not sounding convinced himself. "We have to show them we mean no harm."

At the city's entrance, dozens of guards had their weapons pointed at the hovering Aerodactyl. The Pokemon slowly descended, with Kye and Zeno's hands up in the air.

"Well, well," Errion's captain of the guard said. He dragged a puff from his cigar as he joined his men. "The traitors have finally decided to turn themselves in."

Aerodactyl landed, and Kye and Zeno got off the Pokemon.

"S-Sir!" One of the guards stuttered. "That's..."

"No, it can't be" The guard captain's cigar dropped from his mouth.

Following Kye from behind, Zeno was holding the hands of the Emperor's children.

"Put down your weapons!" the captain commanded his men. Gasps and murmurs spread like wildfire among the guards. The captain was at a loss for words when Kye and Zeno walked up to him.

"Captain, we need to see his majesty right now," Zeno said.

"Y-Yes... of course!" the Captain stuttered again. Then, he glanced at the children in disbelief. "Marcel, Valentina, Dominik?" He got down on his knee and placed his hands on their shoulders. "Are you well?"

"What's the meaning of this?" another guard asked.

"We need to see the Emperor now," Zeno stressed.

"We'll take you there ourselves," the captain said, standing up. "Come with me. And pray tell... what in Eburo's name is going on? The children... all of us saw..." his voice trailed off.

"A ruse set up by Ripley," Zeno muttered.

"Y-You lie!" The Captain choked in disbelief.

"Go on kids, tell him," Kye said.

"Aunt Ripley took us to her house. She said something terrible had happened to mama and papa, and that she had to take care of us," Valentina said. Hearing this, the guards within the area glanced at their BISMARCK comrades suspiciously.

"This can't be..." the captain murmured. "Then who were those we saw in the video?"

"It's a complicated story. You'll know all about it when we see the Emperor," Kye said.

"This is changes everything then," the captain said. "The war needs to be stopped. Hurry!"

Word spread throughout the city about the 'traitors' who had returned with the children. Soon, a whole crowd of guards and townsfolk alike were trailing them from behind. The return of the royal children was no light matter. It instantly cleared up Hilbert and his friends' names as well revealing all of Ripley's lies. The war had no basis now- there was no one to avenge, no pride to defend.

Kye, Zeno and the children stepped into the throne room, where the Emperor and his wife waited. The BISMARCK soldiers in the room looked at each other uneasily.